Demons: Making a Mess All Over the City
by cosmic-divinity
Summary: It has been years since Akira first delved into the hidden world of demons with Ryo and becoming a demon of sorts himself. Now, he lives off in the countryside, hoping to simply live a peaceful life. All of that changes when Ryo shows up at his door out of breath and in a panic. It's the start of more demon hunting.
1. Chapter 1

A peaceful time in a secluded college in the countryside. It was exactly what Akira needed: time away from the busy city and time to focus on himself. It's not like he absolutely hated his home life there. The Makimuras had cared for him like he was their son, but it was nice to be somewhere new, somewhere where nobody knew him. The apartment he stayed in had only four other tenants in a small building in the middle of the forest. He had a beautiful view of the trees and foliage from the main window. Often times, he'd be lounging by it with a mug of tea in hand. It was one of those evenings where he was doing just that. There wasn't any homework to be done and most people online were too busy to chat at the moment. When the knock was heard at his door, he figured it was probably one of the other tenants. Who else could it possibly be? Without much caution, he simply opened the door to be met by a blur of a person who sprinted past him to get into the room.

"Hey, what the hell-" He was about ready to put up his fists when he whirled around to face the intruder and was met with a familiar face. He'd know that blonde hair anywhere. "Ryo? What the hell are you doing here? I thought you went on some big trip? Some kind of site or something?" The shotgun in Ryo's hands didn't help to calm him down even if he was happy to see his old friend again. Ryo seemed like he'd been running for a mile, his breath ragged and chest heaving up and down as he breathed. With a sigh, Akira guided him to the nearest chair, insisting he sit down. He found the largest glass he had in the kitchen, filling it up with cool water and offering it to Ryo. Without any hesitation, Ryo downed all of the water within the glass in record time, managing a raspy "thank you." With a look of concern, Akira sat across from him, lacing his fingers together as he waited for him to catch his breath.

"Sorry, Akira. I can't recall how long I had been running for, but he would've caught me if I hadn't," Ryo said once he regained his composure. Even though he was visibly calmer, the hair on his neck still stood up as if whatever had been chasing him still was.

"Tell me what happened. What do you mean 'he would've caught you?' Who's he?"

"My father. He went berserk." Ryo's eyes met Akira's for a second before focusing on the floor again.

"Your father? But how? I always remembered him as a kind man." There had to be something else about this. Something didn't seem right.

"You're right. It's not like him. I'll tell you the whole story, but you have to promise not to hear me out, alright?" The dead seriousness in Ryo's eyes sent Akira on edge. Ryo had always naturally been a bit serious but nothing like this.

"I promise. Tell me what's going on."

"As you know, my father liked to study strange and interesting artifacts. I was helping him out with that at his lab, but recently, he's started looking into things much darker, more occult, demonic. To make things simple, he got into something he shouldn't have and got himself possessed by a demon. He was always careful when it came to that stuff, but I guess this time was different. I watched his body morph and transform right in front of me. It tried to kill me, so I set the lab on fire and ran. I can only hope it died in the fire, or we may be in some trouble. You're the only person I could think to turn to. You've helped me with demons in the past." Ryo had a hopeful look in his eyes.

"Look, I believe you. I know demons exist because of you, but you want me to help you with more demon hunting? Did you forget what happened to me? You had me get possessed on purpose! Now I'm some kind of demon/human hybrid. I don't even know what to call myself. That's why I moved out here, to get away from all that. I thought maybe I could live a normal life for once, but then you show up at my door again. I'm sorry that that happened to your dad, but I don't know what you want me to do about it." Akira pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing and taking a sip of his tea. He had hoped his time dealing with demons was done, but then it comes right back into his life again. Looking to Ryo again, he saw that his light blue eyes were downcast, and he wore a dreary expression. Then again, who else would Ryo really have to go to for something like this? Everyone else would just think he was crazy or making the whole thing up. They had been very close friends after all.

"Alright, alright. Take me to where the lab was," he sighed. "I just need to gather a few things up first." He left to grab a small duffle, shoving a few clothes into it along with some toiletries. He wasn't exactly sure how long this was going to take, but it could very well turn into a whole thing. It was best to be prepared. When he walked back into the room, Ryo was already up and ready to go.

"Unfortunately, the car I had fled in broke down a little ways from here. That's why I had to run here. I'm not sure if anything was following me," Ryo said, following Akira once he had locked the door.

"We can take my motorcycle then. You'll just have to tell me where I'm going." Akira could feel his nerves getting to him. If this really had to do with demons, he wasn't sure what he was going to come across. They were things straight out of nightmares that could rip people apart easily. Was he even capable of transforming anymore? It had been years since the thought of turning into a demon crossed his mind. Hopefully the thing had died in the fire. If not, it might be trouble. He was surprised at how natural it was when he felt Ryo scooch in behind him on the bike and how he wrapped his arms around his waist without a second thought as the bike roared to life. It brought old memories back like when they would both ride back from a hunt reeking of demon blood but didn't have a care in the world.

The directions were rather simple. They followed a main road that led through the forest and along the coast, passing by the car Ryo used that had broken down. There was an access road that lead up to where Dr. Asuka's lab was. Akira gasped when they came upon the charred remains of the once rather imposing building. A few areas still burned a bright hot orange while others were dwindling down to cinders. Pieces of material would break off, landing right in the smoldering remains, causing little flickers of light upwards and into the night sky.

"Geez, this place burned almost impossibly fast. I expected there to still be at least part of it standing," Akira said in awe.

"Akira, over here." Ryo pointe to a few indents in the ground. Akira moved the bike over there to shine the headlight on them. "This is what I was afraid of." The indents were definitely footprints that looked to be scorched into the soft earth. The trail went right into the forest where a path had been burned through the trees and brush. What sent a frightening chill down Akira's spine was the fact that there was a town not too far in that direction. If this thing was still alive somewhat, the people there could be in danger. The whole town could burn down if it was still on fire. "Demons are strong fuckers, huh? Not even a raging fire could kill it and give my father some peace." He turned to Akira with determined eyes. "You can still back out. Whether you agree to or not, I'll be going down there. I need it dead before it eventually gets to me."

"And kills innocent people," Akira added with a sigh of defeat. "Alright, I'll help. You take my bike and follow that trail. I'll make sure it doesn't get to the town." Akira thought he'd never have to do this again, but it seemed that circumstances called for it. With a deep breath, he honed into the demon within himself. His hair began to flow as if a breeze was tousling it back and forth, eyes darkened before turning a bright white. With a roar, his body transformed, growing bigger. Dark wings emerged from his back and enveloped him until he was completely transformed again. His tail whipped about as his legs steadied again. Without a moment more of delay, he took off into the night, his target soon within sight.


	2. Chapter 2

Akira soared high into the sky. It was a clear night, the sky teeming with stars. Even some of the Milky Way belt could be seen with the lack of light pollution out in the country. The moon was full and bright, casting its ghostly light down to the world below. It made it even easier for Akira to spot the town in the distance along with the ashen trail left by the demon. It had gotten farther than he thought, already upon the town. It wasn't long before screams of terror filled the air. He grit his teeth and flew faster, folding his wings to start going into a sharp dive once he was over the town. Once the demon was in sight, he slowed up but still dove feet first right on top of it. It was right in the process of devouring someone when Akira landed on it. The sheer force caused bones to snap, and it cried out in a piercing scream as it was driven into the ground.

"Sorry, Dr. Asuka," he muttered before driving a clawed hand right into it, puncturing it deep to rip out the heart. He crushed the pumping lump of flesh right in his fist. Blood was already seeping into the ground, and he tossed the dead organ to the ground once it ceased moving. He could feel a struggling near the front of the thing to find the person being eaten was still alive, attempting to claw their way out in a panic. With a strong pull, Akira got them out of there and to the safety of the town. As he expected, they ran away from him right away. It was something he was used to as an intimidating looking demon himself. Movement from the crushed demon caught his attention before a tendril wrapped around his wrist. However, it was too weak to pull him in any direction.

"I'm surprised you managed to stay alive," he said, walking slowly up to the thing. Ryo must be close. He could hear the engine of his motorcycle getting nearer.

"I thought you were done with this charade, Amon. Why not take advantage of humans? They're weak," it said with a gurgle as blood spilled out of its mouth, creating a puddle on the ground.

"I've heard enough of that. I'm a human. You think we're weak? I was strong enough to overcome Amon and take his form. Now, he's rotting in whatever crevice he got put into. The same is going to happen to you," he spat before letting out a deafening roar that shook the nearby buildings. Before the next roar, the inside of his throat glowed a brilliant blue. The next one brought a stream of blue flames that quickly engulfed the demon. There wasn't much of a struggle as the silhouette writhed for a few seconds before going still. The intensity of the flames burned it away completely until all that was left was a pile of ash. As soon as it disappeared, the fire did as well. Breathing heavily, Akira walked over to the small pile and knelt by it.

"Rest in peace. I hope you're finally free from your demon," he said quietly. A few hot tears trickled from his eyes and onto the ash below. He wasn't exactly sure why he was crying. It's not like he knew Ryo's dad very well, but he was crying nonetheless. "Humans aren't weak." He had thought that moving out into the country would give him peace from all the demonic stuff back in the city, but it seemed that even peaceful places like this were still plagued by demons. Akira suddenly whirled around when he felt something touch his tail, claws out and ready to defend himself. He immediately lowered them when he saw it was only a little girl, probably someone who lives in this town. He could spot two people cowering by the bushes close by, most likely her parents.

"Are you one of the good monsters? You're crying," she said in an innocent tone, holding her teddy bear close to her. It never failed to amaze Akira that adults were cower and hide just from looking at him, yet children eagerly walked up to him all the time.

"Someone that I knew was possessed by that demon. I think he's finally at peace. Your town is safe," he said, wiping the tears away.

Seeing that he wasn't going to attack their child, the parents emerged from the bushes little by little.

"Are you with a hunter? Is your master or handler nearby?" the father asked, still too afraid to come any closer.

"Handler?" Akira asked, cocking his head to the side. "Listen, I'm not owned by-"

"Heeey, there you are you big, beautiful beast!" Ryo suddenly ran up, playfully locking Akira's head in head lock. "I'm the hunter. This here's my demon helper, kind of like my attack dog. He won't hurt you. I promise."

"Ryo, what are you-" Akira growled.

"Just go along with it," Ryo whispered, shooting him a look. "He did a good job, didn't he? He's my number one demon." Akira went back to his overly friendly voice. Akira could recognize that fake tone anywhere.

"What a relief that you showed up when you did. We were afraid that demon was going to kill all of us," the mother said, running to her daughter's side.

"You're welcome to stay here for the night. I'm sure something can be arranged with the local inn. You did save us after all."

"Right, right, thank you. I'm just going to have a talk with my demon here, send him back to his dimension or whatever. My assistant is nearby, so I better get him before he gets himself lost. He's so clueless when it comes to directions," he laughed and started to push Akira into the woods a little ways. As soon as they were out of ear shot, Akira turned around, grasping Ryo by his shoulders.

"Ryo, what the hell? What were you saying back there? I'm not some demon slave to you!" he snarled.

"Cool it, Akira! Those were all lies obviously. How do you think they're going to react to you turning into a human? Plus, if other hunters show up here and hear about that, you're going to become a target. It's better that they think the demon you is my familiar or whatever you want to call it, and human you is my assistant. It's going to make things a lot easier, trust me." Ryo swatted his claws and straightened his coat out.

"I..guess that's a good point. Wait, wait, there are other hunters?"

"Well, of course. With the new surge of demons, ghosts, and monsters about, hunters have been popping up frequently. It's becoming a popular job, and after what happened with my father, I want in. I know you have your own reasons too. You're welcome to go back to what you were doing before, but I'd rather have a partner than going at it alone or with some stranger. And thanks..by the way..for helping my dad," he said the last part quietly, darting his eyes towards the ground.

"It's no problem, Ryo. You know that." He thought about it for a moment, flicking his tail to and fro. "I suppose this all is rather interesting. I'll help you out for a little while, alright? But this is all tentative, got it?"

"Oh, so crystal clear, Akira," Ryo said back with his usual smirk.

With a deep breath, Akira shifted back to his usual self, holding his head from the throbbing that usually accompanied it. "Come on, let's get to that inn." He wrapped an arm around Akira's shoulders, letting him lean against him as needed and walked back over to where he parked the motorcycle.

Akira rested in the lounge area while Ryo took care of getting them a room. He massaged his temples as he attempted to relax. It was the sound of Ryo's footsteps approaching that made him look up.

"Got us a room. For free too." He helped Akira over to it. "And I should warn you. This place is probably going to be swarming with hunters by morning. Talk of a possession and demon attack spreads fast. It's best you especially keep a low profile."

"Sounds good and all, Ryo. Right now, I just want to sleep," Akira muttered. As soon as they got to the room, Akira immediately headed for the bed. He fell asleep almost instantly as soon as his head hit the pillow. Right now, all that was on his mind was rest and hopefully the slight burning in his throat would be gone by morning.


	3. Chapter 3

Akira woke up from a dead sleep at bright sunlight shining right on his face. With a groan, he managed to sit upright, holding his head in his hands. His throat was extremely parched and dry. He barely managed to swallow without grimacing as it felt like grinding sandpaper. Already regretting breathing that much fire, he got himself up and onto unsteady legs. He needed food badly, and he wasn't sure where he was even going to get enough to stifle this hunger. It was his body completely drained from shifting into the demon form last night, and it needed nourishment. He still wore the same clothes he had on last night, but a shower would have to come later. Right now, food and water were the only things on his mind. It was that force, that need that made him walk forward and out of the room. The hallway itself was filled with the smell of hot food, making Akira's mouth instantly water. He found himself breaking into a run, nearly leaping down the stairs in one jump. He hadn't even noticed that Ryo was sitting there. All he saw at the time was the buffet of food. Manners were the last thing on his mind right now as he ran over and instantly started devouring any food in front of him. He nearly ate all that was there, finishing it off by chugging a whole jug of orange juice. The workers stared in a shocked sort of awe as they watched the whole thing happen. Once the hunger and thirst were sated, he sat down at the table, panting and wiping his mouth. It was when he finally took notice of the scene and people around him that his cheeks grew hot. Quickly grabbing a napkin, he politely wiped his mouth, feeling the sting of embarrassment.

"Thought you'd be pretty hungry when you woke up, so I arranged that whole buffet for you," Ryo said, glancing up from the magazine he'd been reading.

"Well, you should've stopped me before I did that in front of all these people. Aren't I supposed to be your assistant and not the demon?" he asked, whispering the last part. "They're probably already suspicious of me."

"No worries. I just told them you had a really big appetite like an unusually big one. I made up some story on how you had gotten possessed for a little bit then had an exorcism, but the hunger has just always stayed with you. Believe me, they have no clue." Ryo talked and continued to read, not looking up at him. It did set Akira at ease a bit at least for the time being.

"Any feelings on last night at all? Your father is dead, but I don't really see you reacting to that like at all."

"I'm processing it in my own way. You know I process things differently than you. You always wear your emotions on your sleeve. I wear them..deeper down." He glanced up to meet Akira's glare with a blank face.

"Fine, whatever," Akira grumbled, looking off to the side.

"Excellent job last night by the way. You have a great handle on those fire abilities." Ryo placed the magazine to the side and sipped on his coffee. It annoyed Akira to no end how he just ate up a whole buffet like some kind of maniac while Ryo sat here all pretty, poised, and polite.

"Thanks. I have a better grasp on my abilities, better control besides the whole getting really hungry thing."

Ryo nodded, standing up once he finished his coffee. He looked as elegant and poised as ever, wearing a whole white outfit that looked like a more fashionable motor suit.

"If you're ready to go, we should leave as soon as possible. Other hunters are already starting to flock here with news of a demon fight. We should move onto our next job anyway." He beckoned for Akira to follow as he started to walk towards the front doors. Without much of a choice, Akira stood up and jogged up to him to walk by his side.

"Already have another job, huh? Guess this is going to be a longer term thing?" he said with a sigh, keeping his hands in his pockets.

"If you want to leave, you can do so whenever you want. I've fought demons without you before. You were just..the only one I could think to go to last night, but from everything that's happened to you because of me, I would never force you to do anything. I've hurt you enough in the past." Ryo's voice dropped in volume, becoming softer.

"Well, you did make a demon possess me not knowing if I'd be able to gain control and nearly caused the apocalypse," Akira said matter of factly, peeking over at him with one eye to gauge his reaction. "But..you and I have been friends for a long time. You were in trouble, so I helped you. My life has been going somewhat okay, slowly getting better, and this is interesting stuff that we're doing. We are helping people, so I suppose I'll stick with it a while longer."

"Thank you..Akira," Ryo said quietly, wearing a slight smile. "I promise this'll be fun."

Akira cleared his throat and turned his head to the side as he felt his cheeks start to heat up. "Uh, y-yeah. I'm sure it will."

Once they were outside, Akira turned his head forward again and ran into someone who felt very bulky. The force caused him to be pushed back somewhat and fall right on his ass.

"Geez, what's the big idea?" Akira groaned. His eyes widened as he saw an incredibly tall and most likely ripped man towering over him. Akira didn't have much time to react as he suddenly reached down and grabbed a fistful of his shirt, yanking him into the air.

"The big deal is you should watch where you're going, string bean," he said, shaking him slightly.

"Alright, I..I didn't mean anything by it," Akira choked out, struggling to yank his shirt free. The guy looked like he was seriously about to murder him.

"That's my assistant you're man handling. Please put him down." Ryo stood by him, AK-15 in hand. He had snagged it from the motorcycle while the altercation happened. "I'm a hunter as well, so I apologize for his rude behavior. He's new."

The hunter looked over Ryo, eyes focusing on the gun in his hand. He let Akira go by throwing him to the ground. "Better teach him some manners, then." He studied Ryo once more. "Are you the hunter with the demon familiar? Took down a nasty demon here last night?"

"That's right." He nodded. "It went down in blue flames. There's nothing left of it."

"I apologize. I didn't realize you were the hunter that saved this town. My group and I have had a rough go of it. We lost two to vampires and another one got possessed. I had to put a blessed bullet through her head myself before she started killing all of us." There was a sort of far off, remorseful look in his eyes.

"It's understandable. Akira should've been looking where he was going. Thanks for not causing any damage to him." Akira got back on his feet and bowed a bit in apology, backing up to stand behind Ryo.

"Listen, kids, and especially since you use a demon as a familiar. Never trust a demon ever, no matter what promises or stories they tell you. That's how they get to you. You should only use that demon for a little while. It's smarter to use it once then destroy it. If you keep it around for a while, it'll get to you eventually. Good luck with your hunting."

Akira stayed on edge until the man went inside the inn, breathing a sigh of relief.

"And that's a prime example of why we shouldn't hang around or team up with other hunters. Most of them become hunters because they or people they cared about got hurt or killed by demons and monsters. You'd be in danger if any of them find out about you. Got it?" Ryo walked back over to the motorcycle, securing the gun into one of the side compartments on it.

"Yeah, geez, I definitely got that." Akira wiped a bit of sweat off his brow and went over to join Ryo. He tried his best to calm down, leaning against the bike and taking a few deep breaths. He knew demons were feared, but he didn't realize just how deep the hatred went for some people. "So, uh, where are we going next? You said you already had one picked out?"

"Yes, it's a small city about forty-five minutes from here. The people there are living in fear of some creature or figure of sorts that they'll see in their homes. Not sure what it is exactly, but that's why we're going there. No one has gotten taken or killed by it yet, but there was a man who was almost abducted by it, so he claims."

Akira nodded, taking in all the information. It definitely sounded like something demonic, that or a hallucination. Seeing that Ryo was ready, he got on and started up the bike. The engine roared to life then went down to a steady rumbling. He gripped onto the handlebars tightly when he felt Ryo press up against him from behind and held onto his waist. Akira passed him the spare helmet after he put his on. He glanced back to make sure he actually put it on. Once they were all set, he revved the engine and took off. He looked back to the town using the mirror just once, watching it grow smaller and smaller as they headed east.


	4. Chapter 4

It was early afternoon, and they decided to take a pit stop so they could stretch their legs. It was a quaint spot with a wooded area with some picnic tables. Ryo sipped on some water while Akira went to use the bathroom. There were still so many feelings swirling around inside of him, but he kept it inside, focusing his gaze on the trees. Before his father's condition had gotten worse, he had joined him on several ethnographic studies along with a few archaeological sites. During the demonic incidents and nearly unleashing the apocalypse, he had forgotten about his own passion for anthropology. The time with his father allowed him to learn more about ancient cults, depictions of demons, and witchcraft. The idea of witchcraft brought a few ideas to mind when thinking about how him and Akira should move forward with this. There was no doubt that they'd definitely run into more hunters, hunters like the one that pushed Akira, ones that absolutely hated demons. He'd have to have some explanation for using Akira in his demon form. It was an idea that could work but could also put him in more danger, not just from demons but the hunters as well. If he could pull this off, things would work out great for the both of them.

He was snapped out of his daze by Akira's footsteps approaching the table. He let out a relieved sigh as he sat down across from him.

"That feels a lot better. I think I was holding it in for the last like ten miles," Akira said as he stretched his arms above his head. "Oh, I know that look. You've been thinking about something, right? Is it Dr. Asuka?"

"Yes, I have been thinking about that actually, but it's not the only thing. I thought about my father's work that I helped him with before his condition worsened. It was mostly studying occult aspects of different cultures ancient and current. One specific thing that interested me was witch craft and how different cultures dealt with it. Obviously, a lot of it is negative. Many witches bring curses and can curse people. Some would take measures to ensure they wouldn't get cursed by a witch if one was known to be in the area. Now, thinking about witches had me thinking. My explanation to the people that you were my demon familiar worked that time, but I could tell they were giving me questioning looks like how could a human boy like you control such a powerful demon? So, I have decided that I will be a witch." Ryo stopped talking there, gauging Akira's reaction. He started with his usual look of concentration, eyebrows raising at the last part. He covered his mouth in an attempt to hide his chuckle.

"Wait, a witch? Are you serious, Ryo? How is that going to make more sense to people?"

"I can say I'm a powerful witch who made a contract with the demon, that's you and only I have the power of control over you, so that'll hopefully make them not mess with me. I'll have to do a bit of acting, but that part will be fun anyway. However, it does come with its own sort of dangers. It's true that in our industrialized societies, witch hunts aren't an 'official' thing anymore, but that doesn't mean negative feelings towards the occult and witches have just gone away. The fear is still there, and now with this outbreak of demons, it's only increased. I'm going to have to be careful with how I act." He took a few more drinks of his water. "And I'll tell you why, Akira. Dying as a witch is one of the worst ways to die. To many, you can't simply kill a witch. The witch's curse can still live on and torment the living. No, to kill a witch, they must be completely destroyed: mind and body. This leads to horrible torture before death." Ryo was shaking slightly just from thinking about it. Akira gave him a worried look and slowly placed his hand over Ryo's in a comforting gesture.

"You won't have to worry about that, Ryo. If it's a witch you must be, then I know you can the most intimidating witch ever, and with me as your demon, they definitely won't mess with you. So, would human me still be your assistant?" he asked, deciding to change the subject.

"Of sorts, yes. Although, I'm going to change it a bit. I'm going to call you my consort: the one who humanizes me, makes me a bit less intimidating to talk to since you're there." Ryo smirked at Akira's reaction.

"Wait, consort? Isn't that kind of like a..romantic thing?" he asked in a small voice, nervously glancing elsewhere.

"It can, but it also means to accompany someone. You overthink things sometimes, Akira," he chuckled and stood up, stretching his legs some. Now that the plan was cleared up, he was ready to put it in motion.

"Oh, r-right! Well, you certainly do have the look of a witch with the white clothes and the long coat. You get that mischievous look in your eyes sometimes." Akira hurried after him as Ryo started to walk back over to the motorcycle.

"Well, it's currently too hot for the coat, but thank you."

Like before, Ryo was cuddled up right against Akira with his arms wrapped around his waist as he was getting ready to start the bike up. Akira felt the usual burning sensation on his cheeks, feeling Ryo's body heat. His heart was thumping in his chest as he tried to keep the feeling under control. Over the years of being a hybrid, he had gradually gained control over the various urges and things that came from his demon side. However, when it came to Ryo, that practiced control was out the window.

"You alright? I can feel your heart pounding. Don't tell me you're nervous for this next job." He used his usual teasing tone. He merely acted oblivious, but he was fully aware of how Akira reacted to being touched by him. He smirked at just how much he tried to hide it.

"Oh, i-it's nothing. I'm just excited for the new job is all." He laughed it off, hoping that would help to calm himself down. Boy was he wrong. This made Ryo wrap his arms around him tighter, so his chest was pushed right up against his back, lips right by his ear.

"Nothing, huh? You know, there shouldn't be secrets between us, Akira. You're going to be my consort after all as well as my demon." His tone was playful and soft, saying it right by his ear.

"Ryo," he breathed, clutching tightly onto the handlebars. Of course, Ryo would know how to get him going. "We-we can talk about this later, okay? I don't want to get all worked up right before we head out."

"Fine by me," he chuckled. He backed up some to give him a bit of space. He was still rather close but not pressed right up against him.

Akira took a deep breath before starting up the bike, taking off soon after. They only had about twenty more minutes before they reached the city being afflicted by the shadow figures. Akira felt himself relax the further down the road they were, though he was still a bit heated from what Ryo had done before. It had brought about feelings from deep down, feelings that he had never really gotten over.


	5. Chapter 5

They arrived in the city in the afternoon, sun still high and bright in the sky. Ryo directed Akira to a hotel he had booked a room for them in. They could relax for a bit before starting their investigation. Akira still wasn't sure about this whole demon hunting gig even if it was rather fun to hunt demons. However, it had been so long since the falling out between them. He wanted to know more about what Ryo had been doing since then. He couldn't deny that he was still sore about it, but it had been years since then. They both had time to change and grow. On the surface Ryo still seemed like Ryo, but he had to have changed in some way as well.

Once they arrived, he parked the bike in the parking garage attached and followed after Ryo. He kept the guns locked up in the compartments on the bike but made sure to lock them tightly. Both of them carried small duffels. Of course Ryo would choose a fancy looking place like this. He was probably still loaded and still refused to tell Akira how he had gotten so much money. It's not like he desperately needed to know, but he was still curious. When they walked into the room, he found himself oddly fixated on the way the sunlight shining in through the windows shone on Ryo's hair. It glinted an even lighter color than it usually was.

"So, I suppose you have a lot of questions for me," Ryo said, breaking the silence and snapping Akira out of his little trance.

"Uh, well, yeah, of course I do. You can tell me details on this job we're on later. I think a conversation on what happened and what we've been doing since then is long over due." He made himself comfortable on a couch as Ryo went over to make himself some coffee. "I don't know how you drink that stuff. Coffee's always tasted gross to me." He stuck his tongue out thinking about the bitter taste when Ryo let him taste it one time.

"It's an acquired taste. You always preferred sweet things anyway," he chuckled and soon returned with a mug, taking a seat on the other side of the couch.

Akira glanced over at him, hoping that he didn't notice that he was looking him over. "I like the undercut by the way. It looks good on you."

"Thank you. I see you've kept the same style." His blue eyes looked over Akira, seeing the same old sweeping bangs and sideburns. "I'll say this now to hopefully make things a bit less awkward. I'm sorry for all that happened. I had gotten caught up in the moment. I really didn't mean to expose you like that, but I did. I know there's not much I can really say to make up for that, so I ran. I thought it best to stay away from you, and let you sort your own life out too." There was a silence as Akira processed what he was saying, letting it sink in.

"Yeah, well, the Makimuras know about my devil side now thanks to you. They still care about me, but I thought it was best to move away until all the craziness died down. There's also a surge of demons in the world now too." Akira looked away, focusing his gaze on the floor. Honestly, he wanted to punch him, get his frustrations out physically, but he restrained himself to let Ryo speak. "So, where did you go? What did you do? Tell me everything that led up to when you came running for my help with your father."

"It began with my father after everything. He was getting ready to leave to go abroad for research, studying different cultures, focusing on depictions of demons, the supernatural, and witchcraft. He was surprised when I asked him to take me with him. I was his assistant, kind of like an internship I guess. I tried to put all that happened behind me and essentially disappear. I focused on his work, honing in my skills in anthropology. When we returned, I planned on enrolling in a university abroad and leaving for good. However, my father started to become ill once we returned. It started small, like he just had the flu, but it steadily became worse and worse until he was completely bed ridden. My focus shifted to taking care of him, staying exclusively in the house in the woods. I basically ghost wrote his latest book on his research since he was too sick to do it himself. Turns out, he had been possessed by a demon. He was being consumed body and soul, but he fought until the end. When the demon finally won and took over, that's when I came running to you. I can't explain what led me to where you live now. That's just where I ran to." Ryo took a sip of his coffee once he finished, expecting Akira to ask him for more details. He had a right to know after all.

"I see," Akira finally said, thinking it all over. "I've been focusing on academic things too. Again, I'm sorry about your dad. He was really cool. What I've been doing is not as interesting as yours. I was just living life, going to classes, going on dates, and trying to get things back to normal. No demon stuff for me recently."

"Any of those dates go well?" Ryo asked curiously.

"Nah, one night stands mostly, but it was still fun," he said with a shrug, giving Ryo a suspicious look. "Even after all that went down, I'm still glad to see you again. I'll admit that I kind of missed all our little adventures." He really hoped that Ryo didn't spot the hint of a blush on his cheeks.

"Well, I'm glad you've been doing well." Ryo found himself knitting his fingers together, a usual nervous habit of his. He remembered several native people saying remarks on that. They said he always thought with his hands.

"Um, anyways, could you explain what we're doing here?" Akira asked, deciding to change the subject. He could very easily start crying if they reminisced too much. "You said something about shadowy figures kidnapping people here?"

"Uh, yes, that's what's happening. It seems to be happening all over, but I think I've pinpointed it to two epicenters of activity: a nightclub and a church. The nightclub is a predominantly gay one. Some accounts say that these figures will snatch people up while they're unaware of their surroundings like on the dance floor. The church is one of those modern mega church type things. Some of the youth there say there is a strong presence there that hides and watches them. I think we should focus on those areas. There would be no point in running around all over the place trying to find individual figures. It's clear that something bigger is controlling them." Ryo couldn't help but smirk at the look on Akira's face at the mention of a gay nightclub. He wondered if Akira had ever even been to one.

"Well, sounds like you have a definite plan. Where should we start?"

"Seeing as this is a Saturday, we should start with the club. It'll be packed since it's going to be a Saturday night. I already have an outfit that'll make me fit right in, but we may need to go shopping for you."

Akira gulped as he nodded. Personally, he had never even been to an actual nighclub, let alone a gay one. Since he had had time to himself, he had time to explore his sexuality more, becoming more comfortable with it, but he still felt extremely nervous at the idea, especially at going with Ryo. He still couldn't place exactly how he felt about Ryo. It had always been complicated, and being a dumb teenager at the time didn't help.

"Y-yeah, I might need to do some shopping, make myself look more sexy for the occasion. Demons love sexy, right? Haha." As always, Ryo wore that amused look, the one that always pissed Akira off because of how smug he looked. He wasn't sure what he was getting himself into now, but if it involved Ryo, it was bound to be an interesting time.


End file.
